Japan has implemented immediate poultry import restrictions on products from Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul state, specifically banning all chicken meat from Montenegro and live poultry from the wider region after the confirmation of H5N1 avian influenza at a commercial farm.
The measures took effect Friday as global markets react to Brazil’s status as the world’s largest chicken exporter facing its first commercial poultry farm outbreak.
The Japanese agriculture ministry’s targeted suspension reflects careful calibration – limiting restrictions to affected regions while allowing continued imports from other Brazilian states.
This approach aims to balance food security concerns with avian flu prevention, as Brazil supplies nearly 70% of Japan’s imported chicken meat (429,000 metric tons in FY2024). With Japan’s poultry self-sufficiency rate at just 65%, officials vow to monitor domestic market impacts closely amid existing food price inflation.
The Aftereffect on Global Protein Trade
Japan joins China in implementing Brazil poultry restrictions, triggering alarm across global protein supply chains. The outbreak threatens to disrupt carefully balanced meat trade flows, particularly for Japanese food processors reliant on affordable Brazilian chicken.
Poultry farmers have warned that prolonged bans could exacerbate food price pressures in Japan, where consumers already face steep grocery cost increases and limited domestic poultry production capacity.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries emphasized these measures follow standard biosecurity protocols, mirroring actions taken during previous avian flu outbreaks in other exporting nations.
